1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to dust collection hoods and particularly to a dust collection hood used with an existing sanding bench, which is provided with both a low table level dust collection vent and an airborne dust collection vent, lights for illuminating the work surface for inspection, a storage shelf that shields the user's eyes from the light, and sandpaper dispensers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Substances such as dust, smoke, fumes, gas, and other harmful constituents often affect the health of employees. Various dust collecting techniques have been developed, such as a process in which the contaminated substances are collected by suction through means of a dust collection hood. This process is based upon the technique of sucking and removing generated contaminants through means of a dust collection hood installed opposite to or within the vicinity of the contamination source.
Most prior art devices do not provide double vacuum dust hoods with one lower vent for dust particles and one higher vent for airborne particles. They also lack a combination of other features useful in a sanding operation, such as high-power lighting, eye shading for the worker, and sandpaper dispensers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,120, issued Apr. 25, 1995 to Taylor, shows a welding enclosure assembly which includes: a central work chamber; a plurality of horizontally spaced welding work stations within the central work chamber; an exhaust chamber beneath and generally coextensive with the central work chamber; a floor over the exhaust chamber, underlying and substantially coextensive with the central work chamber, and including vents operative to allow air to pass through the floor between the central work chamber and exhaust chamber; an exhaust fan for exhausting air from the exhaust chamber; a blower arranged to establish a positive air pressure in the plenum chamber; and a ceiling over and substantial coextensive with the central work chamber, underlying the plenum chamber, and including air registers operative to pass air downwardly through the ceiling from the plenum into the central work chamber for passage downwardly through the central work chamber and through the floor vents into the exhaust chamber for removal by the exhaust fan. The various parameters of the enclosure assembly are selected to establish a steady substantially laminar downward flow of air over substantially the entire horizontal area of the central work chamber at a velocity sufficient to entrain the welding fumes generated at the plurality of horizontally spaced welding work stations and move the fumes downwardly to the exhaust chamber for exhaust by the exhaust fan.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,082,374, issued Jun. 1, 1937 to Angus, concerns a lighted exhaust ventilating hood for industrial and other purposes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,779, issued May 12, 1998 to Wilburn, describes a movable overhead ventilation assembly and filtering method for use in a work facility to be positioned in close proximity to a source of airborne environmental material. The ventilation assembly includes a supporting frame located within the work facility. The frame includes a longitudinally-disposed overhead track. A movable chassis is carried by the track. A ventilation housing is carried by the chassis for overhead translational movement of the ventilation housing within the work facility. The ventilation housing includes a plurality of walls, and has at least two openings therein defining respective inlet and outlet zones thereof. An exhaust fan is located within the ventilation housing between the inlet zone and the outlet zone for creating an upwardly moving air stream in the area surrounding the source of airborne environmental material. A filtration medium is positioned between the inlet zone and the fan of the ventilation housing for capturing and separating material entrained in the upwardly moving air stream as the air stream enters the ventilation housing through the inlet zone and exits through the outlet zone. A drive wheel moves the chassis along the track within the work facility. Preferably, the ventilation housing further includes first and second light fixtures located on respective sides of the ventilation housing for illuminating the work station. Each light fixture includes a pair of laterally disposed fluorescent bulbs. The required electricity for the light fixtures and exhaust fan may come from any suitable source such as an overhead power supply cord extendable to reach pre-selected electrical outlets located within the work facility.
U.S. Pat. No. 771,507, issued Oct. 4, 1904 to Strong, puts forth an apparatus for drying enameled ware which comprises a fume-collecting hood above each furnace; said hoods each have an exhaust pipe that is connected to a main exhaust duct.
U.S. Pat. No. D136,653, issued Nov. 16, 1943 to Cohen, is for the ornamental design of a combined fume removal hood and lighting fixture.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,293, issued May 15, 1990 to Saba, claims a lighting and air freshener fixture for illuminating and for collecting air which is contaminated by a certain substance in the adjacent area of the apparatus. The latter includes a reflector defining an internal cavity in which is mounted a light source. A conduit is mounted to the reflector and communicates with the internal cavity thereof. A blower unit is mounted within the reflector for drawing contaminated air and expelling it through the conduit. Advantageously, a filter element is located within the conduit to remove the contaminant from the air mass passing through the conduit.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,419, issued Aug. 15, 1989 to Imai, is for a process and apparatus for collecting a contaminated substance by means of an upwardly directed suction gas flow caused by a dust collection hood, and also includes the provision of a downwardly directed air curtain blown out by means of a forced air blower so as to be parallel to the suction gas flow in a counter-flowing mode as well as annularly surrounding the upwardly directed suction gas flow and the contamination source. By providing the counter-flowing air flows with predetermined relative volume flow rates and velocity flow rates, diffusion of the contaminated substances exteriorly of the downwardly directed annular air flow curtain is effectively prevented.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,475,534, issued Oct. 9, 1984 to Moriarty, provides an energy-saving ventilating system for a restaurant kitchen stove, which provides a first air stream flowing upwardly from a location adjacent the rear edge of the cooking surface, a second air stream discharged into the space in front of the stove where the cook stands and flowing rearwardly above the cooking surface, and a third air stream discharged downwardly from an outlet above the front portion of the cooking surface so as to squeeze the second air stream as the latter flows over the front edge of the cooking surface, causing the second air stream to flow faster in that area, the third air stream acting as an invisible baffle to reduce induction of conditioned air from the kitchen into the space above the cooking surface. The upper wall of the front conduit is located at a height which permits it to be used conveniently as a plate shelf.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,279,681, issued Oct. 18, 1966 to Bandlow, indicates a variable blower which is adapted for incorporation in a barbeque or cooking hood. The blower has a high capacity for exhausting fumes associated with a barbeque. A lamp is also provided for illuminating the cooking area.
What is needed is a double vent dust hood with one lower vent for dust particles and one higher vent for airborne particles as well as a combination of other features useful in a sanding operation, including high-power lighting directly on the work surface with eye shading for the worker, and sandpaper dispensers.